Risk assessment for severe clinical attachment loss in an adult population.

Background: This study was carried out to identify variables related to severe clinical attachment loss (CAL) in an adult French population.

Methods: This cross-sectional survey employed 2,132 subjects of the First National Periodontal and Systemic Examination Survey (NPASES I) aged 35 to 64 years, each with at least six teeth. A nationally representative sample was obtained from September 2002 to June 2003 by a quota method stratified on age, gender, socioeconomic status, and geographic areas.